Return to Lucknow

If you have been following this blogsite, and the projects it describes, from the beginning, you will know that I try to look for new projects, new productions, each year.  So this marks something of a change: a return to Lucknow, where I worked last year, (and visited the year before!)    But there are new challenges to be addressed.

In particular, I will be directing three separate productions: one with CMS, as part of the Odyssey performing arts festival (which I first attended, alongside the students from SPA in Nepal, two years ago.)  This stems from a suggestion I made last year, that alongside the various competitions that make up the bulk of the festival, it might be interesting also to have a project which combines students from the various schools and colleges in attendance, to work together on a (short) production, which is cast and rehearsed during the festival, and then performed as a part of the closing ceremony/performance. 

Once this is complete – the festival lasts five days – I will then start work on two parallel projects, under the auspices of Amity University: one with the students who are part of the Mimesis theatre society, one with members of the artistic community in Lucknow, outside the university.  In both cases, the basis of the production is Shakespeare, and in both cases, I am tackling adapted versions that I have used before.  With the students, it is Double Trouble, a modern version of A Comedy of Errors… yes indeed, the same script that I used in Ethiopia.  But rather different this time around.  In English, for one thing, rather than Aramaic, which should give me a rather better handle on the vocal delivery.  And using a style which is influenced by commedia dell’arte.

For the other project, the basis is The Tempest (the same version that I used over twenty years ago, on a Youth Theatre tour to Romania.)  But again, with a rather new twist, relying on physical theatre (and influenced by the ideas and work of Steven Berkoff.)

Since I will also be delivering some drama workshops to students and/or teachers at CMS, it looks like being quite a busy time.  Rather shorter than last time, however: a week for the first project, a month for the other two.  Busy, busy, busy. 

More detail to follow on each project.